Last One Standing
by The Paper Wolf
Summary: I don't own anything but my oc! Set after G-Revolution. Bryanxoc! I just couldn't resist! *Life is about to change for Bryan and Tala after Bega has finally been taken down and with the help of a new friend, what could be better? Well, there's only one way to find out! Rated T to be safe.
1. By The Books

Chapter One: By The Books

 _It's been a long road to follow..._

 _Someone out there,_

 _is calling me..._

 _Something keeps telling me,_

 _to keep going!_

 _I'm not going to stop,_

 _till I hit the top!_

 _That's the way it's got to be..._

It was cold and harsh in Russia for the Blitzkrieg Boys and as well as all the other boys that grew or in the Abbey. A rough snow storm hit the town the night before and most of the streets there were still covered with the crystallized water. It was well into the late afternoon and the townspeople had yet to clear the streets.

Bryan and Tala were summoned to Mr. Dickenson's BBA Office located outside of town to discuss their new living arrangements.

Their previous prison, for lack of a better word, a.k.a. BIOVOLT had been officially shut down after their headmaster, Boris had been arrested and sent to jail. And all the boys who had been staying there had been sent home to their families. Whoever didn't have a home to go back to were sent to Mr. Dickenson to be assigned a temporary home until they no longer needed providing for. However, Bryan and Tala fell into that category whereas their teammates, Ian and Spencer already had homes to go to, and were currently sitting with Mr. Dickenson in his office; talking about how they were going to get back to their families.

The other two Russian bladers sat together and waited for their turn with tension resting on their shoulders. They didn't want to go their separate ways yet. The BEGA Tournament that threatened the BBA had been over for a few months now, and Boris was exposed for the fraud that he truly was; thus finally putting an end to BIOVOLT once and for all. Now, all that was left was the boys in Russia. The other Abbeys from all over the world had also been shut down and all those kids (boys AND girls) had been sent home.

"Why are we here again?" Bryan asked in an irritated tone; folding his arms over his chest and glaring a hole in the door where Mr. Dickenson was talking to his friends. "This place is seriously giving me a migraine."

Tala sighed and leaned back into his seat. "Mr. Dickenson is talking to Ian and Spencer about going back home to their families." He answered in an annoyed tone; looking up at the ceiling. "Then he's gonna talk to us about where WE'LL be living until we are legally old enough to take care of ourselves."

Bryan unfolded his arms and gripped his knees tightly. "But WE can take care of ourselves! We were pretty much living by ourselves our whole lives!" Bryan argued angrily through his teeth.

Tala growled angrily at Bryan; causing him to stop complaining. "We don't really have much of a choice. We are still minors and people here won't let us work until we're old enough." He reasoned with the lavender haired teen beside him.

The assistant sitting behind the desk looked up at the two stressed out boys from her computer. "You two really should stop looking at this as the end of the world." She spoke up in a solid tone. "Try thinking of it as a second chance at life. After everything you boys have been through, you deserve to have a better life."

"NO ONE ASKED YOU!" Bryan called out angrily; making the assistant tremble at his rage.

"That's enough, Bryan." Mr. Dickenson called out calmly; stepping out of the room with Ian and Spencer at his side. "There's no need to yell at my assistant. She's only giving you a different look on this whole situation."

Tala looked up to see the two boys standing next to the old man. Both of them had looked so lost and relieved at the same time, and Wolborg's blader could see that they didn't want to be separated from the other two.

"So what's gonna happen to the Blitzkrieg Boys now? Are we just gonna leave all that behind? I thought we were a team!" Bryan declared in an angry tone; standing up to face his friends and Mr. Dickenson in contempt. "Are you two just gonna walk away?!"

Spencer looked down at Ian and then back up at Bryan. "Listen, Bryan," he began in an empty tone. "Ian and I still have our families to go back to. Mr. Dickenson pulled a lot of strings to track them down for us."

"Yeah, man," Ian said in a defensive tone; standing up to the angry boy, "we're all finally free from the Abbey. But it's not like we'll never see each other again! I'm sure there's gonna be another tournament rolling around soon and the Blitzkrieg Boys will be back for another shot at Tyson and the championships!"

"And it's not like we don't know how to use a computer or pick up a pen and write to you guys!" Spencer added in a reasoning tone; reaching out to the angry boy. "I'm sure you'll get so tired of hearing from us once we're ALL settled in!"

Bryan huffed and folded his arms over his chest. "Whatever." Was all he said in reply.

Mr. Dickenson cleared his throat and placed his hands on Bryan and Tala's backs; guiding them into his office. "Come along, boys." He said in a fatherly tone. "We've got a lot of things to talk about before I turn you over to your new lives."

"Goodbye, guys... We'll see you off at the air port when we're all done here." Tala said in a hollow tone; keeping his anger in check as he followed Bryan and Mr. Dickenson inside.

Once they were all inside, the boys found a middle aged man standing beside the window with his arms folded over his chest; looking up at them as they entered the room. Bryan and Tala looked over at the man and back at each other with unsure eyes before Mr. Dickenson placed hands on their shoulders.

"Don't worry, boys," he said in a fatherly tone; giving them a kind smile, "Mr. Pendragon here is a very close friend of mine and also the one who helped bring Boris down with all your help."

"Couldn't have done it without you and your friends' help." The man known now as "Mr. Pendragon" stated in a proud tone; giving the boys the same kind smile as Mr. Dickenson always gave them.

"We told you everything we know." Bryan said in a snotty tone; not looking up at the man.

"That's not entirely why I'm here, boys." Mr. Pendragon replied in a careful tone; pushing himself off the window. "We WILL talk about it later on though."

"Then what exactly ARE you for then?" Tala asked in a curious tone; keeping his eyes on the men in the room. "To thank us helping you take the Abbey down perhaps?"

Mr. Pendragon chuckled and walked up to the two boys. "I was going to thank you boys for your help, but in a different way."

The two boys looked at each other before they turned their eyes on Mr. Dickenson; their eyes both demanding a reason for Pendragon for being there. The plump man chuckled at the boys and leaned into his desk.

"The reason why Mr. Pendragon is here today is because after he read your profiles he recovered from BIOVOLT, he volunteered to take you two in." He informed in a mature tone; looking the two straight in the eye.

"I also brought down the Abbey in Ireland a few years ago and am housing another child that was placed there. Once I found your profiles, I just couldn't help see a connection and thought that you three would be able to get that second chance at life." Mr. Pendragon stated in a sympathetic tone; giving the boys sad eyes.

"Thanks, but we can do just fine by ourselves!" Bryan snapped back hotly; folding his arms over his chest in defiance. "We don't NEED your pity!"

Pendragon snorted and folded his arms over his chest. "I'm not the man to give pity, son," he retorted, "I just try to help good kids who need it."

"Bryan, we talked about this." Tala warned in a final tone; trying to keep his friend's temper in control.

Bryan took a deep breath and leaned back in his seat. "Are we going to be split apart, too?" He asked in an accusing tone; not taking his eyes off the two grown ups.

Pendragon laughed and smiled knowingly at the two. "I understand what you're going through, Bryan, and how much your friend means to you. I just hope that you understand that I have no intentions of allowing that to happen." He explained in a gentle tone; offering the boys a gentle smile.

"You promise?" Bryan asked in a final tone; not taking his eyes off the other man's.

Pendragon smiled and patted Bryan's shoulder. "I'll raise your promise and give you my word." He said in a strong tone. "I'll even get your other friends' addresses and emails so you'll be able to talk to them the minute we get you two to a place where you can have some food and a warm bath. You can even meet that kid I was talking about earlier."

"Who's this other guy you keep talking about? Why isn't he with his parents?" Tala asked; finally looking up at Pendragon.

Pendragon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, HER name is "Yubel", and she's not too different from you boys." He reasoned in a cryptic tone; giving them a kind smile. "Well, aside from gender. I took her in only some time ago, and trust me when I say that she's pretty much mute. She only speaks if she absolutely has to. Other than that, you two probably won't even she's there. I hardly know she's there half the time."

The two Russian boys stared at the man in disbelief; not knowing how to respond to the information given to them. There was a moment of silence, and the boys took their time in processing that information, until Bryan looked up with a curious face.

"But why us though?" He asked in a more calm tone; taking in deep breaths to control his annoyance, "Couldn't you guys just throw us into an orphanage or foster care and save yourself the trouble of having three teenagers living with you?"

Pendragon sighed and shook his head. "Couples here are the same as any other couple anywhere: They want infants, not teens. No one will take you in." He explained in a reasoning tone; looking over at Bryan with honest eyes.

After a few minutes passed by, Mr. Dickenson cleared his throat and leaned back in his seat. "Okay, boys, the papers are already signed and you may now go home with Mr. Pendragon." He said in a trusting tone' giving them both smiles. "I hope you two have a pleasant time staying with both Yubel and Mr. Pendragon and I'll come by to see you two after you've settled in, okay?"

Mr. Pendragon smiled and walked up between the two boys and placed welcoming hands on their shoulders. "Come on, boys," he said in a fatherly tone, "I promised Yubel I'd take you three out to dinner before we went home. All your stuff will be arriving at the house sometime in the afternoon tomorrow and I'm sure Yubel would help you two unpack and get settled in."

After the trio said their goodbyes to the elderly man, Mr. Pendragon couldn't help but notice the troubled looks on the two teens' faces and sighed in defeat.

"Look, guys," he said in an all knowing tone; causing them to look up at him, "I know things look bad and dare I say, a little "unfair", but try looking at it this way: Sometimes, life knocks you down, but it's your choice if you want to stand back up."

Bryan and Tala nodded silently and kept up with the man. Mr. Pendragon opened the door leading them outside, and held it open for the two. "I'm sure you'll find a friend in Yubel. She certainly understands what you're going through." He paused for a moment, and then his fatherly face turned into one that hardened. "I do have to warn you about her though."

Tala looked up at the man with a brow raised. "I think we can handle a girl." He said in a confident tone.

Bryan huffed and folded his arms over his chest in defiance. "She's not some warped fan that's out to steal our beyblades, is she?"

Pendragon chuckled and shook his head. "She's not the type. But she has a few complex medical problems that you two should be aware of." He replied in a defeated tone; rubbing the back of his neck. "Remember how that Abbey treated you?" He asked earning a slight nod and tense shoulders from the boys. "Well, let's just say that she's had it a lot worse. But what makes it so bad is that she was hurt from the ones she trusted above all else. And she's still a little... SHY if you catch my drift." He looked over his shoulder to see the confused looks from the boys, and sighed. "You'll see when you meet her. She's waiting outside by the car."

The trio of men made it to the parking lot and found a girl leaning against the passenger door; wearing a gray over coat that reached down to her shins. The girl had her hood pulled up over her head so no one could see her face, and kept her head hung low. Pendragon was right to some degree: She DID look hollow; like a doll propped up in a display case. Her over coat was open and the boys could see an all-black outfit under the coat. The two boys watched as the older man walked up to Yubel and grabbed one of her arms carefully; pulling her away from the car to introduce her to two boys.

"Bryan, Tala," he said in a proud tone, "I'd like you two to meet Yubel. She's the girl I was telling you about." He added as he stepped behind the girl, and placed her hands on her shoulders; causing her to look up at the man. "Why don't you say hello to your new roommates, Yubel?"

Yubel looked over at the boys with the bloodiest red eyes that they had ever seen. She looked up to reveal sickly pale skin with scars on her right cheek and over her left eye. She smiled faintly, as she pulled her hood down to show her silver hair.

"...Umm... hello..." She said in a quiet tone; extending her hand out to Bryan. "It's... nice to meet you..."

Bryan slowly took her hand in his and shook it. He noticed her arm was a little stiff and hardly bent. He watched her step over towards Tala and saw that she hardly ever bent her legs and her back was perfectly straight the whole time.

Pendragon looked up at the sky and saw that it was starting to snow again. "Uh, oh, kids. It's starting to snow again." He said in a fatherly tone; placing his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Let's shake a leg and get moving before it gets too bad, okay? I'm sure everyone here is hungry, and I, for one, do not want to hear you guys complaining that you'll be hungry later."

Yubel was looking up at the man behind her with a blank stare. "...I'm not very hungry. If you guys want something, I can fix it for you..." She whispered in a hoarse tone; now looking down at her feet. "I really don't mind."

Pendragon laughed and opened the back passenger door; tugging on Yubel's arm. "I'm going to treat you three for being so brave throughout this whole ordeal. I couldn't imagine what it was like for you guys. Especially you, Yubel."

Yubel blushed and tucked her bangs behind her ears; revealing the ugliest scars on her cheek and eye. When she pulled her hair back, she also showed them that she also had a pair of hearing aids inside each ear. She then nodded to herself and walked over towards the car; grabbing a hold of Pendragon's arm to lower herself into the seat. The man pulled the safety belt and the boys watched Yubel buckle herself in. The two Russian beybladers really got to see how straight her thin frame was by seeing her sit up as straight as a board from inside the car.

The elderly man looked back at the boys and nodded towards the back seat. "Are you just going to stand there all day? You'll get sick if you two stay out here too long." He said as he opened the front passenger seat.

Tala silently made his way to the front seat, and Bryan went around the back of the car, and opened the other passenger door; sliding into his seat and buckling himself in. The man walked around the front of the car and quickly got into the car; starting it up.

After they got a few blocks away from BBA Headquaters, Pendragon looked over at Tala for a minute; then looked up at the two teens sitting in the back seat through his rear view mirror. "So, does anybody have any ideas of what to have for dinner?"

"We don't eat that much. Anything will be fine." Tala spoke up in a defensive tone; looking out the window.

Pendragon looked over at Tala, and took glances at the two in the back. "What about you two?"

Yubel gasped and looked up at the man driving. "How about we just go home and I'll make pizza or something? I remember seeing some stuff to make it." She said in a quiet tone; her voice barely a whisper.

Bryan looked over at Yubel and gave her a slight grin. "I haven't had pizza for a while. That actually sounds pretty good to me."

The driver smiled into the mirror. "Okay, I'm up for pizza, myself." He said in a pleased tone; turning his eyes over at Tala. "Well, my boy, it looks to me like you're out numbered: 3-1. We're going home and having pizza."

Tala nodded obediently and turned his head out to look at the window. "I actually like pizza. It doesn't matter what I eat." He retorted with a soft snort.

The driver sighed and turned his eyes back to the road ahead; smiling a cheesy smile. "I didn't tell you boys this, but Yubel CAN make a mean pizza. Her baked salmon isn't nothing to sneeze at, either." He said in a proud tone; causing the only female in the car to blush bright red, and turned her head away. "Don't be so modest, Yubel. You're a great cook, if you weren't so into beyblading, I'm beginning to think that you'd be a top chief!"

Bryan turned his head around to give Yubel a surprised look. "You beyblade?" He asked in a shocked tone.

Yubel smiled faintly back at him and nodded in agreement. "I used to be on a team called, "The Pretty Devils". My beyblade is something that I put together from parts of different blades." She explained; pulling her beyblade out from her chest pocket, "I call it the, "Flying Shadow." model."

"Do you have a bit-beast?" Tala asked in a curious tone; turning back around in his seat to looked at the girl.

Yubel gulped and nodded; handing the blade to Tala. "Her name is Slifer. She's a harpy." She said in a shy tone. "She may not look like much, but she does have a little kick to her attacks."

"What type of beyblade is this?" Tala asked in an impressed tone; flipping the blade around and looked at the specifics of the blade in his hands.

"She's a combination type. We do alright in the stadium, but we're nowhere near as good as some bladers are." Yubel responded in a modest tone; taking back the blade from Tala.

"Maybe we could have a friendly match after dinner?" Bryan asked; taking the beyblade when Yubel offered it to him. "I wouldn't mind seeing what this blade can do against me and Folborg."

Yubel smiled faintly at the boy, and watched him examined and analyzing that beyblade in his hands. She was about to reply to his request, but was stopped by Pendragon.

"Actually, Bryan," he said in a disappointing tone, "Yubel can't blade until she gets better."

Tala looked over at the driver and raised a brow at him. "Why can't you blade? What's wrong with you, Yubel?" He asked in a curious tone; looking back at her through the mirror attached to the window.

"I'm not sure if you two have noticed this," he started out in a grim tone; keeping his eyes on the road, "but she got hurt pretty bad when my team found her, and she has to wear bracers to help her get back to 100%. Doctor's orders."

Yubel growled warningly at the driver and turned her head towards the window. It wasn't long before the group made it home. The males had no problems getting out of the car without problems, but Yubel took her time sliding out of the car. The oldest male rushed over towards the girl, and helped her out of the car.

"...Thanks for the help, Alex." The girl said with a strained tone. "It's hard enough just getting out of the car."

Pendragon smiled fatherly as he looped her arm through his; guiding her away from the car. "Well, at least you don't have to use that wheelchair anymore." He said in a reasoning tone. He looked up at the boys with a kind grin. "Would one of you fine young men please get the door for us?" He asked in a curious; extending his keys to them.

Tala nodded and took the keys from the man, and ran up the stairs to the house. Pendragon helped Yubel up the stairs; Yubel took a firm grip on the rail and pulled herself up the steps. Bryan brought up the rear and stayed close to the two going up the stairs to make sure the girl wouldn't lose her grip and fall backwards.

Once they all got inside, the remaining Blitzkrieg Boys took in their new surroundings. It certainly looked like a slightly normal home with a fair sized living room and a den located in the back of the house with a small kitchen in between the two rooms. There was a few rooms off to the side of the living room with an old fire place across from the couch and a table with a place for their feet to slide under the table. It was most likely where everyone would be eating their meals.

The two turned their attention back to the two and saw them taking off their jackets. Yubel hesitated; debating weather or not she should take her jacket off. Pendragon noticed the girl's hesitation, and gave her a small smile.

"They're gonna find out sooner or later, Yubel." He said in a logical tone; almost as if he were able to read her mind. "Go ahead and get it over with and I'll cook the pizza, okay?"

Yubel blushed dark red, and looked down at her arms. She mouthed a few words, but not a single sound was heard. She lowered her head and hid her bloody eyes from the boys in front of her.

"Why are you so nervous, Yubel? It's not like we're going to attack you." Bryan reasoned in a slightly joking tone; giving her a cocky smile. He moved over to her and gently took one of her sleeves in his strong hands. "I'll help you take your jacket off." He advised in a friendly tone; gently pulling on her sleeve.

Yubel looked at the boy with a defeated sigh. She nodded in reply and pulled away from her sleeve. After she got one arm free, the boys could see that she had worn a black tank top with bracers on her arm; shocking them both. She didn't bother looking up at them when she freed her other arm; revealing that it too was in the same shape.

The two boys were shocked to see that she had to wear such things on her arms. They looked at the man with curious eyes and saw that he had nodded to them in understanding. Bryan felt something in his heart break when he saw the poor condition Yubel was in.

"What happened to your arms, Yubel?" He asked in a slightly worried tone; looking at the bracers on her arms.

Yubel snapped her bloody eyes up towards the lavender haired boy with slight disdain. "What do you think happened? I lost a match to one of my teammates, and was punished..." She answered shortly; turning on her heel to walk into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Pendragon watched Yubel walk past him, and looked over at the boys. "I warned you two. The Abbey she grew up in was pretty rough on her." He said with a 'told ya so" tone. "Boys are naturally stronger than girls and can take a lot more beatings than they can. Apparently, no one really cared too much when they were beating her."

Bryan felt angry at the ones who hurt Yubel. He didn't know why he was so mad; he only just met her today and still he was already attached to her. It just wasn't possible!

Tala seemed to understand how his friend was feeling. How could someone like Yubel live through so much pain. It was bad enough she had to live in an Abbey like they did, but at least they could take the abuse. Tala couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the hand Yubel was dealt, but seeing how Bryan was reacting to her in general made him think that maybe this whole ordeal wasn't going to be so bad. At least for his friend.

The two were snapped out of their thoughts when the older man cleared his throat. "Alright, gentlemen," he said in a ready tone, "I've cleared out those two rooms over there. I'm going to let you two fight over who gets what room. If you get too out of hand, I'll let Yubel break it up. In the meantime, I've got a small favor to ask you boys."

Tala raised a brow at the man and folded his arms over his chest. "Oh? And what would that be?" He asked in a challenging tone.

Pendragon held his arms up in surrender. "It's nothing much." He said in a countering tone; giving them a nervous smile. "I just thought it'd be a good deed if you two treated Yubel as if you don't even see her handicaps. Just help the poor girl feel like she's a normal kid. Show her that there's nothing wrong with her."

Bryan followed Tala's example and folded his arms over his chest. "What are you talking about? She IS a normal kid."

Pendragon smiled and sat down at the table. "It's just that the kids around here don't really like her because she can't do as much as they can right now. She has to wear those bracers for a whole year before she can take them off for good."

Bryan and Tala took their seats at the table. "So how long does she have till they come off?" Bryan asked in a concerned tone; looking into the kitchen to see Yubel standing in front of the counter; making the dough.

"She's only got a few months to go. I think it's only three, but I can't be too sure unless I look at a calendar." He replied in an honest tone; waving the boy's question off. "But I do know that they'll be off here real soon. So, my request won't be in effect forever."

"Are you in here bothering those guys, Alex?" Yubel asked in a scolding tone; bringing in a tray of tea and coffee. "You know scaring kids isn't very nice."

Pendragon laughed nervously and the back of his head. "Oh, you know me, Yubel!" He said with a shaky laugh; taking a cup of coffee.

Yubel growled in annoyance. "Yeah, I know you'd give these guys a hard time." She said in annoyance; giving those two a playful wink.

"He's not bothering us, Yubel." Tala said in a reasoning tone; giving the girl a small smile.

"We can take care of ourselves!" Bryan said in a cocky tone; leaning into the table and smiling arrogantly at the girl.

Yubel gave Bryan a bright smile. "Don't let Alex fool you," she advised in a motherly tone, "he may look like tough, but deep down inside he's just an overgrown teddy bear."

And with that she turned back to the man in question. "Instead of harassing these two, why don't make yourself useful and build a fire, huh?" She ordered in a demanding tone; pointing an accusing finger at the man.

Pendragon yelping and jumped up to his feet; getting started on the fire and causing Bryan and Tala to snicker at the man. Pendragon turned over at the two with an evil glare. "You two think this is bad, wait till she gets you, too." He said in a warning tone; turning back to the fire. "That girl is a real wild cat, but you didn't hear it from me."

"I heard that!" Yubel called out from the kitchen; causing the boys to laugh themselves into hysterics.

Yubel returned shortly later with the pizza. "It's still pretty hot, so be careful." She warned in a gentle tone; bending down to set the pizza in the center of the table. "Don't forget to clean up before you go to bed tonight, guys."

Pendragon looked up at the girl with surprised eyes. "Aren't you going to eat with us? I'm sure you're hungry and these two won't bite."

Yubel smiled and whipped her hands on her apron. "I already said I wasn't hungry. I'm too tired to have anything to eat." She explained in a lazy tone. "So I'm turning in for the night."

"Alright, Yubel, goodnight." Pendragon said in a disappointed tone; looking down at his food.

Yubel gave Pendragon a warning glare. "And don't let me catch you harassing those two!" She said as a warning as she pointed a finger at the man.

Pendragon laughed and waved the girl off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's not like they're going to take me seriously with the way you bully me around." He said in a nervous tone.

Yubel folded her arms over her chest and turned around. "Someone has to keep you in line." She said before she looked over at the boys with a kind smile. "I'll be in my room if you guys need anything. Have a good night, you two and I'll see you in the morning!"

Bryan looked over at the man with a curious look. "Where is Yubel's room?" He asked in a quiet tone; not knowing if Yubel was listening.

"She's in her own room up in the attic." Pendragon said in a loving tone; looking into the kitchen. "She seemed to have spent most of her time in there when I brought her here, so I made a room for her up there."

"How long has she been here?" Tala asked in a curious tone; taking a bite of his food.

"Next week will be her third year with me." Pendragon answered simply; taking a swig of his coffee. "She was a mess when I found her, and it took a while before I could actually bring BIOVOLT down, but I guess she's worth it."

"How come she isn't like us?" Tala asked again; pointing to him and Bryan to prove his point.

"Yeah, BIOVOLT pretty much turned us into their little soldiers. How come she's still..." Bryan chimed in; wanting to know as much about the girl as he could.

Pendragon raised a brow at the two boys sitting across from him. "Normal? That's because Yubel and her brother didn't like to be controlled like that. Those twins did everything they could to stay the way they were before BIOVOLT took them away from their parents. Even when the worst thing happened to her, she's still the kind sweet little girl I KNOW she was when she was little. Call it a gut feeling, but something about her just seems like no matter what happened to her, she would never change who she is for anyone."

"I got the same feeling, too." Tala said in a thoughtful tone; looking up from his food, and standing up. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm pretty worn out from everything that's happened today. So, I'm gonna hit the sack before I pass out."

"I'll clean up here." Bryan said as he got up from his seat. "I'm gonna stay up a little longer though."

Pendragon smiled at the two boys and got up from his seat. "I've actually got work to do. So, I'll be staying up all night. But whatever you do, DON'T tell Yubel I stayed up! We'll ALL be unhappy campers if she found out." He warned in a joking tone; getting up to walk into his room. "I'll put the fire out when I actually DO get ready for bed. Good night, boys. See ya later."

"Good night, Mr. Pendragon." Tala said in a polite tone; watching the man grab one last slice of pizza and his coffee to take with him into the room that was next to the front door.

Pendragon coughed on his drink, and looked at Tala. "Call me Alex. Yubel already does." He said in a fatherly tone; giving Tala a friendly smile. "Just don't call me late for dinner."

Bryan chuckled and nodded to the man; watching him retreat to his room. He saw Tala walking into the room that was furthest away from the one Pendragon walked into, and guessed that he was taking that room. He sighed and rested his hand into his palm; staring into the flames in front of him and letting his thoughts take him over...


	2. Nothing To Lose

Chapter Two: Nothing To Lose

 _I'm not going to be apart of their game!_

 _I won't be just another victim!_

 _They'd love to watch me fall!_

 _But they failed to notice,_

 _that I'm still standing!_

 _I've got to prove them wrong!_

 _I'm ready. Are you?_

Bryan woke up the next morning to the smell of food. It wasn't like anything he had ever smelled before and it smelled so good! He gasped and opened his eyes quickly; forgetting where he was. It took a few seconds to realize where he was and he immediately calmed down; looking around the room. He found Tala poking at the fire with his back turned towards his friend. He noticed that he hadn't went to his room last night and had fallen asleep at the table.

Tala looked over his shoulder, and grinned over at his friend. "Good to see you're awake, Bryan!" Tala said in an arrogant tone; walking over towards the table and sitting across from him. "Yubel was getting worried that you fell into a coma but the way you slept through all that noise Alex made before he left."

"Where's Yubel?" Bryan asked in a sleepy tone; rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Why did Alex leave?"

Tala shrugged his shoulders and leaned into the table to slide his legs underneath it. "Alex had some work to do and Yubel is in the kitchen making us breakfast." Tala explained in a lazy tone; letting a slight yawn pass through his lips. "Man, I woke up too fast." He added in a mild complaint; resting his head in his arms.

Bryan was about to reply when Yubel walked into the room with a tray of food in her hands; smiling sweetly at the two. She walked up to the table, and laid a tray of pancakes in the center with some syrup and butter on the side. There was also three cups of coffee for the lot of them.

"Tala said that you two like coffee. So, I took the liberty on making us all coffee this morning." She explained in a thoughtful tone; handing them each their own cup. "I left them black because I don't know what you guys put in it. I, personally, will take just plain milk and sugar. The sugar supplies the energy and the coffee wakes me up."

Bryan grinned at the girl, and took his cup in his hands; bringing it up to his nose to take in the aroma. "Black coffee is fine with me."

"I'm with you on this one, Yubel," Tala said as he took his cup and began scooping the sugar into his own cup, "I prefer my coffee with just sugar."

Yubel nodded and smiled over at the redheaded boy; taking up a plate of pancakes. She took some butter on her knife and spread it over her food; following by the syrup.

Bryan watched her make her pancakes before he snapped out of his daze and picked up his own plate. "If your pancakes are anything like that pizza you made last night, then I think I'm sold!"

Tala laughed at his friend and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Yubel! You really are a good cook!" He said happily; taking his plate and prepared his breakfast. "I wish you cooked for us back at the Abbey! It really wouldn't have been so bad if you were there with us!"

Yubel blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, but I'm not a dude like you guys," she reasoned in a sisterly tone; taking a bite of her food, "so they wouldn't let me stay one second in the Abbey you're from!"

Bryan swallowed his bite and looked over at Yubel. "So, what was the Abbey like for you? It couldn't have been half as bad as the one Tala and I got out of." He asked in a curious tone; looking over at Tala before he turned his attention back to the girl beside him.

"Trust me, it wasn't any better than the one you two came from. I'm just glad Alex got me out of there when he did." Yubel said with a gentle smile; looking down at her food.

"Oh, come on, Yubel!" Tala pleaded with the girl; leaning into the table. "From one BIOVOLT refugee to another, what was it like there? You've got to have some stories to tell!"

"Yeah, Yubel," Bryan chimed in after he took another bite of his breakfast, "it's not like we're ever going back there or anything."

Yubel looked away from the two with a smile on her face. "It's really not polite to talk about something as horrible as places like the Abbeys we grew up in." She answered with a simple tone.

"How bad could it have possibly been?" Tala asked in a curious tone; already guessing where this conversation was going.

"You can tell us, Yubel. Since we'll be here a while, we might as well get to know about each others' past. Wouldn't you agree?" Bryan said in an encouraging tone; giving her a slight smile.

Yubel looked up at the two, and gave them a sad smile. "My brother was killed in that Abbey when he threw an exhibition match to see who got to be in the team." She replied with a distant tone. "He and I were faced off together to see who would get to make the final string in the Pretty Devils."

Tala leaned closer to the girl and stared at her in disbelief. "That's got to be hard." He said in a surprised tone; not taking his eyes off the girl.

"I'm sorry we brought it up..." Bryan said in an apologetic tone; looking down at his food. "We shouldn't have forced you to tell us."

Yubel shook her head at the boy and gave him her bravest smile. "It's not so bad... I look at it like this: Leo got out of the Abbey and he's not hurting anymore. So that's good enough for me." She said in a reasoning tone; leaning over to place a hand on his lower arm.

"We're still sorry we upset you, Yubel." Tala said in a sympathetic tone; looking down at his food. "And you and Alex were kind enough to take us in, too."

Yubel chuckled and shook her head at the two. "It's okay, you guys. It was a long time ago, and we're all out of those awful places and out of danger. I can settle for that." She reasoned in a kind tone; going back to her food. She swallowed her food and looked up at them with a kind smile.

"So, let's promise to never talk about the Abbeys anymore, okay? I won't ask you guys anything about it if you don't ask me. Deal?" She said as she crossed her arms and held them out to the boys.

Bryan chuckled and took Yubel's hand in his own; giving her a slightly firm shake. "Deal." He said in a laughing tone; giving her a smile.

"Fair enough." Tala agreed in an understanding tone as he took Yubel's other hand and shook it firmly.

Yubel smiled happily at the two and pushed their plates closer to the two. "Now, that's all settled," she said in a motherly tone, "eat up and we'll go out to get you guys some clothes and things for your new rooms, okay? We can't have you wearing the same clothes all day or you'll start to smell funny." She said in a joking tone; causing them to choke on their food.

"That's SO not funny!" Tala called out in protest; blushing brightly with embarrassment.

"We do NOT smell funny!" Bryan said after he took a drink of his coffee to wash down the food that he just swallowed.

Yubel laughed and pointed at Tala's face before she slapped her knee in amusement. "Maybe not now, but you will eventually, Tala!" She said with a happy laugh.

She calmed down and looked over at their plates to find the contents already gone. She reached over to collect the dishes onto the tray and slowly rose to her feet; giving them both a kind smile before she began to walk back into the kitchen.

"Alex wanted me to take you guys out to get some new clothes today. You guys should get ready to head on out. I'll put the fire out when I'm done in the kitchen, okay?" Yubel called out from the kitchen. "I told him you guys wouldn't be up for spending time with a girl, but he just seemed like he was really just trying to get us to be more social around each other."

Bryan huffed and folded his arms over his chest in protest. "There's nothing wrong with our clothes." He mumbled to himself; earning a nod from Tala.

Yubel held up her hands in surrender. "There's nothing wrong with your clothes, I swear! Alex just wanted me to take you guys out to get some clothes before your beds get here!"

"We're fine with the clothes we have now." Bryan protested in a stubborn tone; folding his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, but what about night clothes? Or extra clothes for when the clothes you already have are all dirty?" Yubel protested; arguing her point. "It's always good to have extra clothes."

"This Alex-guy really wants to clean us up, doesn't he?" Tala asked the girl as he looked into the kitchen to see her moving around in there.

Yubel laughed and poked her head out of the kitchen. "Just be glad you're going with a girl instead of BEING a girl and having HIM take you to get your clothes." She said in as a matter of fact.

"That's just creepy." Tala said with fake disgust; sneering his nose up at the thought Yubel just put through his head.

"Tell me about it. He is such a stereotype when it comes to girl's clothes that would make even the preppiest girl sick to her stomach." Yubel said in a joking tone, as she opened the door leading to the attic. "Go ahead and get ready to leave. I'm going to get ready, myself, and I'm not very quick, so take your time and I'll be down as soon as I can." And with that, Yubel made her way up the stairs; leaving the two to themselves.

"What is she thinking? Taking us shopping for clothes?" Tala said with a protesting groan; slapping his forehead.

"Talk about embarrassing!" Bryan said in agreement; blushing slightly at the thought.

Tala sighed and slid out of the table. "We might as well as get this over with."

Bryan sighed and got up; taking his cup into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee. "If I have to go through this; then I'm gonna need another cup before I go." He mumbled to himself as he quickly drank his coffee and went into the bathroom...

 **"Oh, come on, you two!"** Yubel called out to the two boys trailing behind her. "It won't be so bad, I promise!"

Tala huffed and looked away from the pleading girl. "Easy for you to say," he mumbled in an embarrassed tone, "you're not the one who is forced to go shopping."

Yubel sighed and stopped walking to allow the two to catch up with her. Even for a crippled girl, she was pretty quick. "I won't be with you guys EVERYWHERE you go." She said in a reasoning tone; giving them a sisterly smile. "I'll turn you loose so you can get whatever you want and meet you back at a designated location."

Bryan looked over at the girl with surprise in his eyes. "You'd really let us off the leash? Just like that?" He asked in a suspicious tone; eying the girl with distrust.

Yubel looked over at Bryan and gave him a cocky smile. "Oh, please, you two!" She said in disgust. "You'd really think that I'd stick around with a pair of guys and listen to you two talk about whatever it is that guys talk about? Give me a break! I'm not as self-centered as most of the girls HERE are. No offense, I'm sure the girls here are really great people, but I'm not like that. I know when to give people of any gender, race, or religion their space."

The two boys let out a relieved sigh they didn't know they had been holding and gave each other an unsure look.

"Then I guess it won't be so bad..." Bryan said in a reasoning tone; shrugging his shoulders at his best friend...

Once they arrived at the mall, the trio stopped and looked around. There certainly was a lot more stores since the last time the boys went. They looked over at Yubel, and saw her smile sweetly at them.

"As promised," she said in a polite tone; waving them off, "I'm turning you loose. Now, make sure you at least get two outfits and something for your rooms." She added in a motherly tone; handing them both a wad of cash. "Alex gave you those rooms for a reason, you might as well as decorate them as you see fit."

Tala nodded to the girl, and took the cash. "What about you? What will you do?" He asked in a curious tone.

Yubel shrugged her shoulders and looked around at the stores. "I've already done my shopping LONG before you two came along." She answered in an all-knowing tone. "I was actually going to get some more parts for Slifer if you don't mind."

Bryan folded his arms over his chest and gave Yubel a slight smirk. "I thought you're not supposed to be beyblading till you're all better." He stated in a brotherly tone.

Yubel held up her hands in surrender. "I'm just getting some extra parts for when I can finally beyblade again. My year's almost up and I've already missed out on 10 months of practice." She said in protest. "If it makes you two feel any better, we'll go in together and take a look around AFTER you've finished shopping."

"You really shouldn't be left alone out here." Bryan said in a worried tone; gently grabbing the girl's arm.

Yubel rolled her eyes at the two and pulled her arm away from Bryan's hand. "Would you really want me to follow you to every store you go to?" She asked in a playful tone; causing them to blush slightly at her comment. "No? Then I'd suggest that you shake a leg and get to it before we have to go home and set up your rooms. In my opinion, THAT will be more of a challenge than picking out clothes. At least you two don't have to wear bracers."

"Okay. You've made a good point. So, where are we going to meet when we're done looking for clothes? Personally, I don't really know what I would put in my room." Tala said in an unsure tone; looking around at the stores.

"How about we meet at the food court? It's straight down stairs and to the left. I'll give you guys two hours tops." Yubel suggested in a reasoning tone. She turned around and began walking away from the them; waving them off as she walked away.

Bryan waved to the girl and looked over at Tala with a defeated sigh. "Let's get this over with." He said as he began walking towards one of the clothing stores; Tala following suit.

 **An hour passed and the two actually found some clothes that they liked** , and began looking around for things that would go in their rooms.

"So, what do you think about Yubel?" Tala asked in a curious tone; looking around at the alarm clocks in the electronic store.

"She seems like a good person and she's pretty easy on the eyes if you catch my meaning." Bryan replied with his back turned towards the other boy. "I just can't believe someone like her grew up in a dark place like the Abbey in Ireland."

Tala nodded in agreement. "She certainly doesn't seem like the type of person to grow up there. I would swear that Alex was her father or something. I mean, the way they act towards one another just seems like what a family SHOULD look like."

"Seems that way, doesn't it? I wonder how she takes to US living there with them?" Bryan added in a thoughtful tone; looking through the collection of compact disks.

Tala shrugged his shoulders and picked up an alarm clock; then turning around to look through the music that Bryan had already looked through. "She seems okay with it to me. She's very nice." He said in a mature tone; picking up a few disks. "I'm really curious about her beyblading skills. I bet she's nowhere near as good as we are."

Bryan raised a brow at the boy beside him. "We'll have to challenge her when she gets better." He advised in a concerned tone; smirking wickedly at Tala before moving over towards the cd players.

"You seem to think highly of her." Tala said in an observing tone; watching his best friend look at the smaller systems. "Are you starting to like on her or something?"

Bryan's shoulders tensed and stood livid at the boy's comment. He spun around to give Tala a shocked face. "WHAT?! How could you even THINK something so insane like that?!" He said in a defensive tone.

Tala looked over at the boy and began laughing at him. "Oh, man, Bryan!" He said between laughs. "You should totally see your face! Your face is as red as my hair!"

Bryan blushed darker shade of red, and backed away from Tala; glaring evilly at him. "That's not even funny, Tala." He said in a warning tone; narrowing his eyes at him. "Don't joke about something like that... if you know what's good for you..."

Tala tried to control his laughter and shook his head; trying to stop his laughter. "Sorry, Bryan," he said once he caught his breath, "just couldn't resist teasing you."

Bryan looked down at his shoes and scowled in disgust. "She'd never even go for someone like me anyway..." He said in a bitter tone; not looking up at his friend. "She deserves someone who ISN'T associated with BIOVOLT. She deserves much better than any one of us."

Tala gasped in shock and walked over towards Bryan with a serious glare in his eyes. "You never know, man," he said in a reassuring tone, "I've seen the way she acts around you. She might even have a thing for you."

Bryan fought his blush down and huffed; walking away from the boy. "Whatever. Let's just pay for this stuff and go find Yubel so we can get out of here."

Tala chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, this shopping thing isn't really my style, either." He agreed in a surrendering tone; following Bryan up to the counter...

 **While the boys made it to the food court,** they spotted Yubel sitting alone at the table at the other end of food court. She looked up and smiled up at them.

"Hey, there!" She greeted in a kind tone, "Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked once they all settled down around her.

Bryan smiled and held up his bags. "We even found some clothes to make Alex happy." He said in a victorious tone; hanging his bags on the back of his seat and sat down next to Yubel.

"And we got a few things for our rooms, too!" Tala said in an amazed tone; giving her a small chuckle and a polite shake of his head.

Yubel smirked over at the redhead and leaned into the table. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" She asked in an all-knowing tone; looking over at Bryan. "And you two thought it was going to be end of world."

The two boys blushed in embarrassment, (Bryan blushed slightly darker than Tala) and looked away. Yubel giggled at the two and looked behind her to see if the food was coming.

"I didn't know what you'd like to have for lunch, so I just ordered some burgers." She told them; keeping her eyes open for the food. "It was ten minutes before you came, so it shouldn't be long now."

"That's fine." They replied at the same time; causing Yubel to whip her head back around to look at them with surprise on her face.

"What?" Bryan asked in an uptight tone; looking over at Yubel.

Yubel shook her head at the boy beside her, and gave him a faint smile. "You two must have spent a lot of time together if you say the exact same thing at the exact same time." She said in a logical tone; looking over at Tala with the same faint smile. "It's almost like you two are brothers."

Tala looked over at Bryan and back at Yubel. "Well, we actually DID spend most of our time together with our other friends, Ian and Spencer. We were all on the same team." He stated in a serious tone as he leaned back in his seat.

Yubel looked down at her hands and her smile faded. "It must've been nice to have someone you trusted..." She whispered to herself; not looking up at them.

Bryan looked over at the girl beside him and moved closer to her. "Didn't you trust your teammates? I remember Alex saying something about you being on a team at one point in time." He stated in a curious tone; giving Tala a quick glance as if to dare him to say something about his concern for the girl.

Yubel gasped and looked up at Bryan with shock. She moved her eyes to look behind him, and saw a trio trio of boys coming their way. She sighed and sat up straight in her seat and a shadow fell over her eyes; staying completely silent.

"What's the matter, Yubel?" Tala asked in a worried tone as he looked over in the direction that Yubel had been looking, and seeing the boys quickly approaching the table.

"Well, look who it is, boys?" A boy slightly taller than Tala stated in a snooty tone; leaning on the table.

Another boy who looked like a gangster chuckled wickedly and walked over beside his friend and laughed tauntingly at the girl. "It looks like our little Yubel's on a hot date!"

The last boy was probably a few inches taller than Ian and looked like he had just gotten into a fight with a brick wall and lost. "Aww! Our little Yubel's finally growing up! It makes us so proud to see you doing alright for yourself!" He said with a fake happiness.

Yubel glared over at the trio, but kept quiet. She didn't move a muscle. The boys just laughed and continued to taunt the three.

"Just who are you?" Tala demanded in an annoyed tone; giving the other boys a dominating look.

"Do you know these clowns, Yubel?" Bryan demanded in a protective tone; giving the annoying boys a warning glare.

The boy who spoke first looked over at Bryan with an angry tone. "As a matter of fact," he said in a knowing tone, "she DOES know us! We were on a team before that good for nothing detective shut BIOVOLT down!"

Yubel's head shot straight up, and looked directly at the trio surrounding them. "That "good for nothing detective" you speak of saved ALL our lives!" She said in a vengeful tone; not taking her eyes off the boy. "Which is MORE than I can say for the likes of you, three."

"We were doing just fine without him!" The second man declared in a hot tone; placing his hands on his hips in defiance.

Yubel huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Oh, yes, getting beaten for every little mistake we did was a good life for teenagers our age." She said in a mocking tone; closing her eyes at the boys. "If that's a good life then I want my money back."

"Who ARE you anyway?" Tala said in a nasty tone; not liking the way they were talking to Yubel. "You must not be her friends if you talk to her like that."

Yubel looked over at Tala, and smiled secretly at him."You remember that team I told you about?" She asked in a flat tone; looking up at the trio standing at the table. "Look, Jack," she said in a pleading tone, "we don't want any trouble, so spare us ALL a headache and leave us be."

Jack folded his arms over his chest and placed his hands on his hips. "Why don't you shut up and put your mouth where your blade is!" He said in a challenging tone.

Yubel blinked a few times at the boy, and looked at the two beside him. "Is he serious?" She asked them in a blunt tone; turning her attention back to Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack, but maybe you weren't there when Leo and I were punished that one time."

Jack growled and slammed his hand on the table. "You make it sound so simple b-!" He started to say, but stopped short when Yubel cut him off.

"But it IS that simple!" She stated in a commanding tone; leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs, "And I have the scars to prove it! Or were you absent that day?"

"Is there a problem here?" The manager demanded in a firm tone; walking up to the group holding a tray of food.

Yubel looked behind her at the older man. "Not at all, sir," she said in a lazy tone; giving him a fake smile, "we were all debating on where we're going to go next and got a little carried away." She added with a fake smile. "I'm sorry if we caused any trouble."

The manager looked over at the three boys with a warning leer before he walked over between them and the table. Yubel gave him another fake smile, and handed him a tip before he left.

The leader of the boys gave Yubel one last glare before he turned turned around and walked away, his buddies following quickly but not before they gave her their own glare. Yubel kept her eyes trained on the trio until they disappeared into the crowd.

She slapped her head with her hand and groaned in protest. "Why must I have to put up with stupid people like them?"

"So, that was your old teammates?" Bryan asked in a curious tone; looking over at Yubel.

"They've really got it mad for you, Yubel!" Tala said in disbelief; relaxing into his seat for a few seconds. "What did you do to them to make them so mad at you anyway?"

Yubel sighed and pushed herself away from the table. "I'll tell you boys on the way back." She answered shortly; pulling on her gloves. "I've had my fill with... unexpected company for one day."

Once Yubel had her gloves on, she picked up her bags. Bryan and Tala looked at each other before they packed up their things, and quickly caught up to her. Yubel smiled kindly at Bryan when he grabbed the door for her on the way out; glaring darkly behind her back when Tala sent him a knowing smirk. After a while, Yubel looked up at the threes and back ahead of her.

"The boy talking the nastiest was Jack," she admitted in a hollow tone as she looked over at Tala, "he was the obedient one and the biggest TOOL you'll ever see."

Yubel looked down at the ground and thought about what the other two were like. "The little wanna be beside him was David, he's the type of guy that no clue how to act until he sees someone else." She said in a bitter tone. "You'd think he had no will of his own." She replied once they had the house in their sights. "Tony was the smart one when he stayed back from the group. He didn't like fighting out in public and would wait until we were in a controlled environment before he'd voice what was on his mind."

"Did they give you your scars?" Bryan asked in a serious tone; following her up to the door.

Yubel looked over at Bryan for a minute and pushed the door open. She pulled out her pocket watch and checked the time. "We better hurry up and get inside before Alex gets home."

She waited until Tala cleared the door before she closed it, and started to take her jacket off; ignoring the concerned glances from the two. She looked over at the boys and sighed in defeat. "It was a long time ago, long before BIOVOLT'S fall. It doesn't matter anymore." She said in a lazy tone; shaking their worries off. "I'm going to take my bags upstairs and I suggest you hurry up and put your bags aside before the delivery men show up with your furniture."

Bryan and Tala shrugged their shoulders and laid their bags in the pit and put the bags of food into the kitchen. Yubel returned shortly after and placed the bag of food into the microwave. Alex had called and said that he wouldn't be home until late tonight. Yubel stayed calm and told him that she understood and that she'll have dinner waiting for him when he got home.

 **Once they had all had something to eat,** their furniture arrived and they were all trying to get them inside before it started to snow. (Which they didn't quite make it.) Once they were done, Yubel smiled at the delivery men and gave them a tip for their help. Now, they were all helping each other get their furniture into their rooms.

Tala had his room set up to where his bed was in the corner next to the door and his desk was on the far left corner and his dresser was across the room next to the closet with a book shelf next to his desk. His room looked more like a dorm room style an a classic teenager's room. Yubel shrugged it off and gave him a month before it started to get messy.

Bryan had his room completely opposite from his friend's room. Yubel slid a piece of cardboard under the legs of his furniture and helped him slide them into place. He bumped into her when he tried to move past her, and caused her to stumbled forward; falling into him.

"Sorry about that, Bryan. These stupid bracers slow me down." Yubel apologized in a shaky tone. "Nice catch though."

Bryan smirked and set Yubel up right. "It's no problem." He said in a modest tone; shrugging his shoulders.

Tala folded his arms over his chest and gave the boy with Yubel a sly smirk. He knew there was something there between the two, and he actually started to think that staying here might do Bryan some good...


	3. Holding Back

Chapter Three: Holding Back

 _I was a fighter all my life._

 _But now,_

 _it's just not worth it anymore._

 _A body can only take so much,_

 _before it gives up..._

 _It's not my time to go..._

Yubel, Bryan and Tala had been free from those terrible Abbeys for a whole month now, and everything seemed almost perfect. Alex had noticed a change in the air whenever Yubel and Bryan walked into the room. And by the looks on Tala's face, he could tell that bringing those two there was the best thing for Yubel. Tala seemed to have the right idea; because he's snicker and send a sly smirk at Bryan when Yubel had her back turned. Alex could tell that the boys had a soft spot for the fallen Yubel and would have to hide his grin whenever he'd see the three interacting with one another. He could Tala had a fierce protectiveness over the girl as well as Bryan, and thought they'd be able to help her whenever he wasn't around-which was most of the time due to his job.

Right now, Bryan and Tala were in the kitchen; making dinner. Alex had taken Yubel to the doctor's office to check the progress on Yubel's recovery. They were going to make dinner tonight and they all agreed that Alex doesn't have any cooking skills, and forbade him from ever stepping into the kitchen.

So, tonight, they were all going to have beef stew. It was Tala's job to cook the meat, and Bryan had to cut the vegetables. Tala had finished stirring the meat, and stopped to look over at his friend with a serious look on his face.

"Okay, Bryan," he said in a steady tone, "I know you like Yubel, so why not just admit it? I personally think you two would make a great couple."

Bryan stopped chopping up the greens and looked over at Tala with a warning glare. "You realize I have a sharp object in my hand, right?" He asked in a challenging tone.

Tala stepped back from Bryan and held his hands up in defense. "I'm just saying..." He said in protest. "You'd BOTH feel better."

Bryan sighed and placed the knife down, and turned to Tala. "She doesn't like me like that!" He cried out; holding his head in agony. "Even... even if she did, she could better than me... Than anyone of us! She deserves much better!" And with that, Bryan fell to his knees, and gripped the sides of his head in hopes of getting the pain to subdue.

Tala dropped to his knees and was at Bryan's side. "Hey, dude, you alright?" He asked in a concerned tone; placing his hands on Bryan's back.

Bryan groaned and swayed a little. "Just another attack..." He said through clenched teeth. "It'll pass..."

Tala sighed and looked up at the clock. Alex and Yubel would be coming home soon, and he knew that Bryan wouldn't want Yubel to see him suffer like this. "Why don't you just go ahead and lay down for a minute?" He suggested in a quiet tone; pulling his friend to his feet. "I'll finish up dinner and call for you when it's ready. Or perhaps I could have someone bring it in to you?"

Bryan looked up at Tala with a serious glare. "No thanks." He replied in a flat tone.

Tala held his hands up. "Okay, okay. I'll just save you some food and you can have it when you're feeling better, deal?"

Bryan nodded and staggered away to his room; leaving Tala to finish dinner. He slowly made his way into his room, and fell down on his bed; too tired to crawl under the blankets. He put his head under the pillows and did his best to block out all the sounds that filtered through the pillow. It wasn't long before he wore himself out and fell asleep; waiting for the pain to leave him in peace...

 **Alex and Yubel had finally made it home.** It was in the late evening and Tala had finished dinner just before they came back; putting their meal out onto the table. He looked up to see Alex looking rather defeated and Yubel was sporting a rather victorious look.

"Do I even want to know?" Tala asked in a careful tone; eying Yubel.

Yubel shrugged her jacket off and smirked wickedly at the redheaded boy. "Alex lost a bet to me." She answered in a happy tone; placing her jacket on the hanger before she put it in the closet.

Tala raised a brow at the older man; whom nodded bitterly. "I bet that she wouldn't get her bracers off until early in the next year and SHE said that she'd get rid of them before Christmas." Alex replied in a defeated sigh; running a hand through his hair.

Tala looked over at Yubel with excitement on his face. "Really? That's great! I'm so happy for you, Yubel!" He cried out with joy as he gave the girl a bear hug. "Bryan will be happy to hear that you'll get your bracers off, too!"

Yubel laughed and returned her friend's hug. "Where IS Bryan anyway? I thought you two were going to make dinner."

Tala let the girl go and rubbed the back of his head. "He had another attack." He stated; pointing to the closed door that led to Bryan's room. "I told him to go lay down and we'll save him some dinner for when he feels better."

Yubel looked past Tala and stared at the door in shock. "How bad was it this time?" She asked; not taking her eyes off the door.

Tala looked at Yubel for a moment, and placed his hands on her shoulders; gently guiding her towards the bathroom. "Don't worry about him, he'll be alright after a while." He said in an encouraging tone; giving her his bravest smile. "Go ahead and get washed up for dinner. We're having vegetable stew tonight."

Alex's eyes lit up with joy at the thought. "Veggie Stew?! I'm sold!" He cried out delightfully as he took his place at the table; sitting in front of the couch.

Yubel glared warningly at Alex before she turned over towards Tala with a concerned look. "How long has Bryan been in his room?" She asked in a worried tone; looking back to the door.

Tala waved a finger in front of Yubel's face. "He'll be in there for a while, trust me on this. He just went into his room about 45 minutes ago. So, my guess is that he's dead to the world right now. Waking him now would probably be the death of you." He said in a joking tone; pushing Yubel towards the stairs that lead up to her room. "Don't worry about him, and go get washed up for dinner. You smell like a doctor's office."

Yubel huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Whatever, Tala." She said before she made her way up the stairs.

 **After Yubel finally made it out of the shower,** she poked her head into the living room, and found Alex chowing down on his dinner; not even waiting for anyone.

Yubel sighed and ran a hand through her damp hair. "Let me guess," she said in a tired tone, "you got another all-nighter, huh?"

Alex looked up from his meal and nodded to the girl. "Just got the call while you were in the bathroom." He answered in a disappointed tone; finishing off his food and getting up. "Sorry I have to leave, kids. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Yubel lowered herself onto the floor in front of the fire place and began drying off her hair. "Being a sting opt is a big job to do, and besides," she said in an understanding tone, "it's not like you'll be gone forever."

Alex smiled proudly at the girl, and ruffled her hair. "I know, honey, I just don't like leaving you kids alone like this."

Tala sneered his nose up at the man's comment. "It's not like we're a bunch of toddlers." He said in an offended tone. "I'm sure we can take care of ourselves."

Alex chuckled and went over to the closet; pulling his coat out and putting it on. "Can't argue with that, I guess."

Yubel smiled up at Alex and waved him off. "Try not to work too hard and we'll see you when we see you!" She called out in a gentle tone.

"Don't stay up too late, guys." Alex called out before he left the house.

"Ya know something," Tala said slowly; holding a hand out for the girl to take, "he's really not such a bad guy."

Yubel grinned up at Tala and took his hand; pulling herself up. "I used to think he was just like Brier when I first came here," she stated in a thoughtful tone; looking at him with a kind smile, "but his intentions never left me shaking. He's just a good man trying to make a difference."

Tala tilted his head to the side and looked at Yubel in confusion; helping her sit at the table. "Who's Brier?" He asked as he took his place across the table.

Yubel pulled a bowl of stew towards her, and reached for the pepper. "Brier is the name of the man who ran my Abbey. He was a total brat trapped in a man's body." She answered in a simple tone; shaking the pepper into her bowl. "He literally the kids there to the ground, and whoever fell first went into solitary confinement for a whole week. No food, no water, no contact with anyone... We'd only get three chances in perfected our skills as a beyblader, whenever we'd use those chances up, we'd really get it. "It" being the mother AND father of all beat downs."

Tala looked over at Yubel with hollow eyes. "Did you ever have to go into solitary confinement?" He asked in a slightly angry tone; rolling his hands into tight fists.

Yubel sighed and shook her head. "No, I just got the beatings." She answered in a depressed tone; looking down at her food with a sad eyes. "My brother, Leo, was the only kid who would actually take care of me. No one wanted to be my friend because of the way I looked." She told him with a sad smile; lifting some hair up and giving him a slight wink. "I can't help that I'm albino. I was born this way. I guess I just freaked them out because I don't actually have color."

Tala growled angrily at the girl's statement. "That's not right!" He said in a quiet tone; slamming his fist into the table. He gasped and realized what was happening, and shook his head; clearing his mind of his anger. "You know you don't have to tell me about this, right?"

Yubel sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Between you and Bryan, you guys would make me spill my secrets one way or another." She said in a reasoning tone. "I don't want to live in the past anymore..." She said in tired tone. "I was given a second chance at life, and I'm not sure about you, Tala, but I am GOING to take it."

Tala sighed and gave Yubel a slight nod. "I guess you're right."

Yubel chuckled and smirked playfully at the boy in front of her. "I'm a girl, Tala. I'm always right." She said in a joking tone; giving him a playful wink. She shoved some more food into her mouth and looked up at Tala with a happy smile. "This is pretty good, Tala!" She said in an amazed tone; giving him a thumbs up as she ate more of her food.

Tala returned Yubel's smile with a smaller one of his own. "Bryan helped. I just made the beef. He did most of the work." He said in a modest tone; rubbing the back of his.

Yubel raised a brow at the Russian blader. "You mean before he had another one of his attacks?" She questioned him in a sad tone; seeing him nod before he put more of the stew into his mouth. "I hate that he has to suffer so much like that. It's not fair to him." She said in a slightly annoyed tone; stirring her stew with her spoon. "He's done nothing to deserve that."

Tala looked up from his meal and gave her a court nod. "You really like Bryan, don't you, Yubel" He asked in an innocent tone; putting more food into his mouth.

Yubel blushed crimson and placed her hands in her lap, but remained silent. Tala grinned and wolfed down his food.

"Ha! It's true! I knew it from the start! You DO like him!" He cried out quietly; trying not to disturb Bryan while smirking at the blushing Yubel.

Yubel placed her hands in her lap and glared angrily at the boy sitting across from her. "I may have feelings for Bryan, but he would never return them! I'm too different!"

Tala hid his shock from the girl and reached over to the girl. "I know you're different, but that's why he likes you, Yubel." He told her in a calm tone; giving her a slightly warm smile. "He may not be able to show his affections like most people here, or voice them for that matter," he said in a kind tone, "but he really does like you."

Yubel's eyes widened and tears soon spilled out of her bloody eyes. "Why would he like someone like me? It doesn't make any sense!" She said in a rough tone. "He would be better off chasing after a skirt that more color than me."

Tala chuckled slightly at that comment. "Yeah, you do look pretty weird..." He said in a joking tone; earning a wadded up napkin getting thrown at his face. "I'm just kidding." He said between laughs. "There's nothing wrong with the way you look, Yubel. Personally, I think you look pretty cool without it. And don't get me started on the girls here and their make up. Talk about conceded! Whatever happened to natural beauty?"

Yubel blinked a few times a Tala and soon started to laugh. "My thoughts exactly! Girls ANYWHERE care about their make up than anything else!" She said in an agreeing tone. "Make up just adds weight onto your face. Unless it's for Halloween. Then that's where you can put all the make up you want on and be totally different.

Tala let out a full laugh. "And let me guess, you just love being a princess, don't you?" He teased in a brotherly tone; wiggling his brows at her.

Yubel laughed and shook her head at the boy sitting across from her. "You wish I dressed up as a princess." She mumbled in a mocking tone. "I'm not into all that prissy stuff. I tend to go a little... DARKER than most girls."

Tala chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "And just what do you go as then?" He challenged in a mocking tone; not backing down from the girl.

Yubel smiled and placed her arms in her lap. "Well, this was my first Halloween with Alex. And I got a witch's costume. I had put on a ton of make up and no one at the Alex's work knew who I was until he told them."

Tala chuckled at the girl. "Never would've thought you'd go as anything like that for Halloween."

Yubel giggled and finished off her dinner. She was about to get up to put the dishes in the kitchen, but Tala pulled them away from her and got up. He grinned boyishly at her and gathered the remaining dishes up.

"I'll clean up the kitchen," he said in a final tone, smiling brotherly at her, "YOU just sit back and relax."

Yubel smiled gratefully at the boy and watched him walked away. She sighed and leaned over to the side and picked up the remote; turning on the television and putting it on the news. She smiled at the boy when he'd pass the entrance and watched the news like she always did...

Tala returned to the living room a few minutes later and found Yubel sleeping at the table; her head resting on her arms. He smiled brotherly at the girl, and went over towards the couch and pulled off the blanket. He carefully unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around the girl's tiny form; pulling her bangs off to the side. He would never guess that Yubel would turn out to be such a great friend to him; always caring for him and helping him see things from all sides. It was like she was sent from Heaven to help him and Bryan get their lives back.

He just wanted to see his best friend happy with the colorless girl sleeping at the table. He knew they were perfect for each other, and wanted to see them happy, but he could only go so far to help them. He wondered if Alex had noticed the attraction, too and is trying to help them along in his own way.

Without anything else to do and how late it's getting, he decided to turn in for the night; leaving Yubel to sleep at the table. He turned off the television and locked the door before he went to bed; turning out all the lights safe only for the light over the kitchen sink...


End file.
